19.9% extra: Man says GST and service charges in Singapore have pushed him and his wife to dine out less

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man recently shared on Reddit that he and his wife have been dining out less because of the “steep” taxes added to restaurant bills.

In a post published on the r/askSingapore forum on Friday (Nov 14), he explained that he and his wife now limit themselves to just two date nights a month, as the additional 19.9 per cent in service charge and GST can feel quite heavy. 

“I only squeeze in two date nights in a month for my wife and me,” he said. “And it has been manageable despite feeling the pinch.”

Wondering if others were facing the same dilemma, he reached out to fellow Redditors for their thoughts. 

“How often do you eat out in Singapore? By dining out, I mean restaurants. Doesn’t have to be expensive, but I’m not asking for a quick meal at the kopitiam,” he wrote, hoping to understand if cutting back has become a common reality for many.

“It’s basically an extra 20%, which is crazy.”

In the comments, many Redditors chimed in to say they now eat out only three or four times a month. Some added that they’ve cut back even more drastically than that.

One said, “If you’re talking about restaurants, I find most of them overpriced and mediocre. The last time I ate at a local restaurant was 4-5 months ago. I eat at restaurants when I go overseas, though.”

Another remarked, “It’s basically an extra 20%, which is crazy. Now I only eat out for social gatherings, maybe twice a month”

A third commented, “Once in a black moon. I walked past a Chinese eatery last night. An attractive poster showed claypot dishes from S$7.80. I walked in, had a S$7.80 claypot, but after I paid for the bill, I noticed the small bowl of rice was S$1.50, and the total bill was about S$12.”

Still, despite the extra taxes and higher menu prices, some users admitted that they continue to eat out frequently, citing busy schedules and convenience as major factors.

One shared, “My husband and I live together. When we first started living together, we were very excited to cook our own food because we thought it was saving money.”

“But after a few years, we grew a bit tired and lazy because cooking for two people is not as cost-effective as cooking in bulk for a family of five. So most of our meals are bought outside, but we have a rule where on weekdays, our meals must cost less than S$10, preferably in the S$5/S$6 window.”

In other news, a woman took to Reddit to ask if it was “valid for her to feel upset” after her boyfriend didn’t bother to plan anything for their anniversary and even made her split the bill for their so-called special meal.

On Sunday (Nov 2), she posted on the r/SGexams forum, explaining that her boyfriend of two years has never been the type to put in much effort for special occasions.

Read more: Woman asks if it’s ‘valid for her to feel upset’ after BF made her split the bill for their anniversary dinner